Clothesline fastener



March 12, 1940. SALZEfi 2,193,383

CLOTHESLINE FASTENER Filed larch 30, 1938 Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFFl-cg CLOTHESLINE FASTENER Frank J. Salzer, Chicago, 111.

Application March 30,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in clothesline fasteners generally, although more particularly to those in which the line is held by a clamp.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a clothesline clamp which is provided with one or more downwardly extending line snubbing posts on the clamping member whereby continuous line sections may be disposed in angular relation to each other without becoming disengaged from. the clamp.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the above character which is simple in construction, durable in use, and economical to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view which will more fully appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a left side elevation, partly in section, of a clothesline clamp constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a right side elevation thereof, partly in section,

Figure 4 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the clamp base,

Figure 5 is a rear view of the clamping member, and

Figure 6 is a plan View on a reduced scale showing my line clamp in use.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my invention is embodied in a clothesline clamp including a base A and a cooperating clamp B.

The base A comprises a relatively long and narrow rectangular vertical plate 5 having a forwardly projecting lug 6 located on the lower portion and adjacent one side edge thereof. The

outer end of the lug is provided with a transverse pivot opening 1 disposed in parallelism with said base. The front face of the base is provided with a clamping surface 8 between the lug 6 and the opposite longitudinal edge of the base. The base is provided on its front face with a vertical series of ratchet teeth 9 which are disposed centrally with respect to the top edge thereof.

The clamp B comprises an elongated cam- 1938, Serial No. 199,008

shaped element it which. is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on an axle: ll mounted in the opening 7 in the lug. The upper end of the cam-shaped element It is provided with spaced flanges l2, l2 which form a resultantrope or i line receiving groove l3. The rear surface of the cam-shaped element is provided with a clamping surface M located directly in rear of the axle H for cooperation with the clamping surface 8 4 on the base. lower end with a pair of downwardly extending snubbing posts l5, l5 spaced apart for a distance The element Ii] is provided at its m greater than the diameter of the rope used.

These snubbing posts preferably extend downwardly from the clamping member and thence 1 i8 and l which are arranged at right angles to each other. The line is positioned in the groove I3 of the clamping member, and thence downwardly between the clamping member and the base. The freeend of the line is then carried under the clamping member between the spaced snubbing posts, and thence laterally over the hooked portion of either snubbing post. The pull of the line on the upper part of the clamping member tends to swing the clamping member in a direction to bring the clamping surface of the clamping member into close proximity with the clamping surface of the base thereby effecting a clamping action onthe line therebetween. As the upper end of the clam-ping member moves outwardly, the free end of the pawl I! drops downwardly into engagement with successive steps of the ratchet teeth thereby securing the clamping member against loosening in the event that the line is slackened.

Thus, it will be seen that I have formed a clothesline clamp which will securely hold. a clothesline disposed therein, which will permit sections of the line to be disposed at angular relation to each other, and which is simple in construction and is durable in use.

It is of course to be understood'that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A clothesline-holding clamp comprising a base plate having a transversely apertured lug projected forwardly from the face thereof, said plate having a clamping face portion at the side of said lug and an elongated ratchet-toothed portion extending longitudinally adjacent said lug, an axle-stud supportingly mounted in the transversely apertured portion of said lug, an eccentric line-supporting and clamping element pivotally mounted on said axle-stud, said eccentric element having a toothed inner clamping face in opposed relation to said clamping face portion of the body plate at the side of the lug supporting said eccentric element, one end portion of said eccentric element being curved and formed with a line-receiving and supporting groove, the opposite end portion of said eccentric element being formed with a spaced pair of rounded, outwardly and upwardly hooked snubbing posts, and a pawl pivotally mounted on the side of said grooved end portion of the eccentric element and engageable at its free end portion with said ratchettoothed portion of the body plate.

2. The herein described clothesline-holding clamp comprising an elongated body plate provided with a transversely apertured lug extended forwardly from the face thereof adjacent one longitudinal side and end portion of the plate,

said plate having an elongated traitisverselytoothed rack portion extending longitudinally from a point adjacent said lug extension to the end of the plate, an axle-stud supportingly mounted in the apertured portion of said lug extension of the plate, said body plate having a toothed line-clamping surface at the side of said lug extension, an eccentric element pivotally mounted on said axle-stud, said eccentric element having an inner toothed line-clamping face in opposed relation to the clamping surface of the body plate, one end portion of said eccentric element being curved and formed with a linereceiving and supporting groove, the opposite end portion of said element being formedwith aspaced pair or rounded, forwardly and upwardly extended, hooked snubbing posts, and a pivotally mounted pawl on the side of the grooved end portion of said eccentric element, said pawl being engageable with the toothed rack portion of the body plate whereby to releasably hold said eccentric element in clamping relation to the line inserted between its clamping face and the opposed clamping surface of the body plate, with the line supported in the grooved end portion of said eccentric element and exerting a pull on said element to move its grooved end portion away from the body plate.

3. A clothesline-holding clamp comprising a generally flat rectangular base plate having provision for its attachment fiatwise to a support and being provided with a forwardly projected lug on the outer face thereof, said plate formed with a clamping face portion at the side of said lug and an elongated ratchet-toothed portion extending longitudinally adjacent said lug, an eccentric line-supporting and clamping element pivotally mounted on said lug at the side thereof and having a toothed inner clamping face in opposed relation to said clamping face portion of the body plate, one end portion of said eccentric line-supporting and clamping element being curved outwardly from the base plate and formed with a line-receiving and supporting groove and the opposite end portion thereof being formed to provide hooked line-snubbing means, and a pawl pivotally mounted on the side of said grooved end portion of the eccentric element and engageable at its free end portion with said ratchettoothed portion of the body plate.

FRANK J. SALZER. 

